Carding machine cleaner plenum



July 14, 1970 CROWLEY, JR 3,520,028

CARDING MACHINE CLEANER PLENUM Filed Oct. 21, 1968 INVENTOR. JOHN E.CROWLEY, JR.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent Oflice 3,520,028 Patented July 14, 19703,520,028 CARDING MACHINE CLEANER PLENUM John E. Crowley, Jr.,Charlotte, N.C., assignor to Southern Suction and Equipment Company,Charlotte, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Oct. 21, 1968,Ser. No. 768,991 Int. Cl. D01g 15/82 US. Cl. 19-107 2 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a card cleaner plenum having ahinged portion defining a hood carrying an end wall defining a suctionorifice such that by raising the hinged portion the interior of theplenum may be cleaned.

It has been found that suction plenums positioned on the licker-in ordoifer cylinders are advantageous for cleaning cards. Orifices in theplenums have been positioned to exert suction at various points on thecard where foreign material, such as lint is discharged or collectsduring carding, such as adjacent the feed roll, adjacent the juncture ofthe main and doffer cylinders, and adjacent the Web delivery. Whenchokes and the like, collect in such plenums such must be cleaned out,and it is difficult to gain access to the plenums through the restrictedorifices normally provided.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide acarding machine plenum, the interior of which is accesible for cleaning.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a plenum havinga suction orifice adjacent the juncture of the main and doifer cylinderswith accessibility to the interior for removal of chokes and the like.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawingforming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown andwhere- FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional side elevation, with partsomitted, illustrating a carding machine equipped with a cleaner plenumconstructed in accordance with the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view further illustrating such cleaner plenum.

The drawing illustrates a cleaning device for a textile card having alicker-in cylinder and a doffer cylinder including a plenum extendingalong and across a said cylinder. The plenum has spaced side wallsjoined at the top by an upper wall and is substantially closed at abottom portion. A source of suction communicates with the plenum. Ahinged hood portion A of said upper wall is connected to a fixed portionB of said upper wall, fixed with respect to the card. A hinge C connectsthe hinged portion with the fixed portion. The fixed portion has an openend adjacent the hinged connection between the side walls. An end wall Dis carried by the hinged hood portion A adjacent the hinged connectionopposite the open end. The end wall has an open portion therein definingan elongated orifice E through which suction is exerted for collectingforeign matter including lint under said hinged portion..Thus, thehinged hood may be raised so as to pivot about the hinged connectionpermitting access to the plenum through the open end for removing excessforeign matter from the plenum. The plenum is preferably of the typemounted on the dolfer cylinder as illustrated, and the hood A extendsadjacent the web delivery. The plenum defines a second orifice adjacentthe juncture of the doffer cylinder and the main cylinder.

A carding machine is illustrated in FIG. 1, which has a frame 10, a maincylinder 11, and a dotfer cylinder 12. The card is provided with flats13 and the usual brush 14 for cleaning the flats. The main cylinder isprovided with the usual front top plate 15, door 16, and bottom plate17. The bonnet has been removed from the bonnet assembly 18 in order toaccommodate the suction plenum.

While the plenum of the present invention is illustrated as beingmounted on the dotfer cylinder, it is to be understood that such aplenum could be mounted elsewhere, such as on the licker-in cylinderwith the hinged portion A extending adjacent the feed roll (not shown).The plenum has spaced side walls 19 and 20 joined at the top by an upperwall 21. A bottom member 22 provides a closed bottom portion. A suitablesource of suction 23, illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, communicateswith the plenum through an opening 24 in the side wall 20. The hoodportion A of the upper wall is an extension of the upper wall 21separate therefrom, but secured to a fixed portion B of said upper wallwhich is fixed with respect to the card. A hinge C connects the hingedportion A with the fixed portion B.

The plenum bottom 22 has flanges 22a and 22b which are secured to thebonnet assembly 18 as by bolts 25 which extend through openings 26 inthe flanges 22a and 22b. The hood portion A has extensions 19a and 20aof the side walls 19 and 20, respectively, depending therefrom. Sidewalls 19 and 20- have upwardly extending triangular end portions 1% and2011, respectively, which are joined by an end wall 26 which conforms tothe curvature of and is adjacent the main cylinder 11. A tray 27, suchas that illustrated in US. Letters Patent No. 3,387, 337, issued June11, 1968 is thus formed. The tray 27 has an upturned portion 27aextending inwardly of the plenum for preventing objects falling betweenthe card clothing of the main and doffer cylinder. A suction orifice 28is formed for drawing lint and the like, in the area of transfer webbetween the main cylinder and the dotfer cylinder. Suction is exertedthrough the orifice 28 through the area 29 beneath the extension 27 andan orifice 30 is formed above the extension of cleaning the top wall Bof the plenum.

It will be observed that the fixed portion of the plenum has an openend, as illustrated at 31 in FIG. 2, adjacent the hinged connectionbetween the side walls. An end wall D is carried by the hood portionadjacent the hinged connection opposite the open end. The end wall D hasan open portion therein defining an elongated orifice E through whichsuction is exerted for collecting foreign matter, including lint fromunder the hinged portion. The elongated orifice E may -be formed asillustrated, by a plurality of spaced slots 32 and by terminating thewall D as at 33 short of the base 22 providing an opening 34 between themarginal portions 35 and 36, which together with the upper marginalportion 37 define the open end 31.

FIG. 2 shows the hood A in raised or open position permitting access tothe plenum through the open end 31. The hood A is also shown in loweredposition in broken lines as it would assume during the cardingoperation.

The suction orifice E may, if desired, take the form of either thespaced slots 32 or the opening defined below the lower edge 33 of thewall D. The hinged hood portion A extends adjacent the web delivery 38and the crush rolls 39. The web delivery is illustrated as including thecalender rolls 38 and the crush rolls 39 through which the web passesprior to sliver formation at the calender rolls.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described usingspecific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, andit is to be understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device for a textile card having a main cylinder, alicker-in cylinder and a dolfer cylinder including, a plenum extendingalong and across one of said cylinders, said plenum having spaced sidewalls joined at the top by an upper wall and substantially closed by abottom wall and defining at least one open end therebetween, meansfixedly mounting said plenum with respect to said card, a source ofsuction communicating with said plenum, a hood extending from said topwall and terminating a substantial distance therefrom, means pivotallymounting said hood with respect to said top wall, and an end wallcarried by said hood adjacent said pivotally mounting means and beingadjacent said one open end, said end wall having at least one openingtherein through which suction is exerted for collecting foreign matterincluding lint under said hood, whereby said hood may be raised so as topivot said end wall about said hinged connection permitting access tosaid plenum through said open end for removing excess foreign mattertherefrom.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said plenum is mounted onthe doffer cylinder, and said hinged portion extends adjacent the webdelivery, said plenum defining a second on'fice adjacent a juncture ofthe dolfer cylinder and the main cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,115,683 12/ 1963 Reiterer 19107XR 3,387,336 6/1968 Crowley 19--107 FOREIGN PATENTS 613,155 8/1926France. 777,726 12/ 1934 France.

DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner

